Arunava about Football A look at football & the world through my eyes!
Related Articles
The remaining 24 teams now know exactly what is required to reach the 2023 AFC Asian Cup – China, and no there is no shortage of talking points following Thursday’s Qualifiers Final Round draw.
Rivalries, old and new, will be rekindled, the cream of Asian football will rise when hopefuls representing the full length and breadth of Asia convene across six cities in June.
Looking ahead to the action in less than four months’ time, AFC Media has picked out one point of interest from each group, all of which are set to produce thrilling fixtures.
GROUP A: History repeats for familiar foes in Kuwait
Jordan, Kuwait (hosts), Indonesia, Nepal
The Final Round of qualification gives the teams that failed to advance on the Road to Qatar a fresh start in reaching China 2023, but it is likely to seem like history repeating itself for all but one team in Group A.
Kuwait, Jordan, and Nepal finished second, third and fourth respectively in Group B in the Second Round of AFC Asian Qualifiers, with several of those fixtures held in a centralised format in Kuwait City last June.
The teams, location and time of year will all be the same this time around, with Indonesia the only added ingredient to a group where there will be no excuses for a lack of preparation.
GROUP B: Unchartered territory for Mongolia’s challengers
Palestine, Philippines, Yemen, Mongolia (hosts)
Home ground advantage is often helpful in international football, but it is likely to be even more valuable when facing opponents who have never set foot in the country.
The only team in Group B to have never qualified for the AFC Asian Cup, Mongolia will welcome Palestine, the Philippines and Yemen to Ulaanbaatar eager to capitalise on the fact that few, if any of their opponents will have ever played in the nation.
West Asian pair Palestine and Yemen have never ventured to the Mongolian capital, and while the Blue Wolves did defeat the Philippines in an AFC Challenge Cup Qualifier there back in 2011, none of the players who took the pitch that day remain in the national team setup.
GROUP C: Uzbekistan, Thailand set for final-day showdown
Uzbekistan (hosts), Thailand, Maldives, Sri Lanka
In terms of the current FIFA World Rankings, it was the highest quality match-up possible in Thursday’s draw, and it may prove crucial in deciding which teams qualify for the Finals.
The highest ranked team in the draw and having never failed to qualify since joining the AFC in the early 1990s, Uzbekistan find themselves matched with a Thailand side that is not only the top-rated side amongst those drawn from Pot 2, but one that has participated In six of the last eight AFC Asian Cups and reached the knockout stage in 2019.
The presence of relative outsiders Maldives and Sri Lanka might suggest that two of the strongest sides yet to qualify will be hard to contain in Namangan, but the fact that only the five best runners-up will advance to China 2023 means that Group C’s heavyweights will come into the final Matchday likely to need a result of some description to be sure of securing their place.
GROUP D: Opportunity knocks in Kolkata
India (hosts), Hong Kong, Afghanistan, Cambodia
If you’re hoping for the emergence of a first-time AFC Asian Cup participant or the end of a decades-long qualification drought, Kolkata-based Group D is arguably the most likely source.
Hosts India have featured in two the last three AFC Asian Cups, but Afghanistan have never qualified for Asian football’s showpiece event, and it has been more than half a century since either Hong Kong or Cambodia reached the tournament proper.
Even if India top the group on home soil, which is far from guaranteed, one of Hong Kong, Afghanistan or Cambodia will finish in the top two, giving them a strong chance of progressing to China 2023 as one of the best five runners-up, and adding extra significance to every point on offer in Kolkata.
GROUP E: Malaysia’s chance to break drought
Bahrain, Turkmenistan, Malaysia (hosts), Bangladesh
Back in 2007, Malaysia had an AFC Asian Cup co-hosting experience to forget, losing all three matches and conceding 12 goals in a group featuring Islamic Republic of Iran, Uzbekistan, and China PR.
They have not been seen on Asia’s biggest stage since, but, after 15 long years, this may be their best chance.
Playing host to Bahrain, Turkmenistan and Bangladesh in the same city that saw them outclassed in 2007, Harimau Malaya will be hopeful of making the most of their home ground advantage under the guidance of new head coach Kim Pan-gon.
Bahrain can rightly be considered group favourites, but Malaysia will know an opening-day win against Turkmenistan could prove crucial in their bid to return to the big stage.
GROUP F: Central Asian rivals meet again in Bishkek
Kyrgyz Republic (Hosts), Tajikistan, Myanmar, Singapore
Much like Group A, Bishkek-based Group F features teams with plenty of recent history, with Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Myanmar having all squared off in the previous round of the Asian Qualifiers.
Central Asian neighbours Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan also met on the road to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and there has been little between them with one win apiece and two draws in their four competitive fixtures in the last two Asian Qualifiers cycles.
Many of the players from the two sides have also crossed paths at club level in AFC Cup action, meaning there will be few secrets when they meet at Dolen Omurzakov Stadium on June 11.
It has been a generation since Tajikistan were better placed to reach their maiden AFC Asian Cup, but they may need to overcome one of their closest rivals if they are to finally end their qualification drought.
